You might think that after four films and the two decades that separate them, the character arc of Alien star Ripley would be just about done by now. The character, played by Sigourney Weaver, has done pretty much everything there is to do, which is why it’s so surprising that director Ridley Scott – who’s been reigniting the Alien franchise recently with 2012’s Prometheus and the upcoming Alien: Covenant – has plans to potentially bring Ripley back into the franchise, TRON: Legacy style.

Fans of the newer Alien films know that they’re actually prequels to the original franchise, which makes it logically sound that Ripley would come back in a younger form. However, just because it could happen, doesn’t mean it should, and it seems like shoehorning her back into the franchise for the sake of familiarity might backfire on Ridley Scott more than he thinks.

In an interview with Empire, Scott had this to say about the possibility of bringing Ripley back to the franchise;

Scott will, it seems, be holding back some of his gruesome notions for future installments: he is planning at least two more films before linking up with the original Alien. “Right now we’ve got a ten-page synopsis,” he reveals. “John Logan’s doing it. And we know where we’re going with it.” He is not ruling out the idea of using a digitally de-aged Sigourney Weaver to bring back Ripley: “You could do that,” he allows. And Logan promises “different mutations” of the Alien to come.

If you’re on the anti-de-aging side of this argument, this quote should actually give you peace of mind. Scott doesn’t seem to be confirming it, nor does it seem like he’s genuinely all that interested in bringing back Ripley, which is good news. The new Alien films need to establish themselves as being able to function independently of the original films. It’s kind of a fresh start after the original Alien franchise went downhill during later installments, and Scott is right to give each film a chance to work on its own without forcing pre-existing elements for the sake of a callback.

It’s still possible that Ripley will return in the franchise at some point, but hopefully it’s executed well instead of feeling forced. In the meantime, Alien: Covenant comes out on May 19th!

A “De-Aged” Sigourney Weaver Might Appear in Future Alien Movies

The original series' own Ellen Ripley might be returning in future Alien prequels.

You might think that after four films and the two decades that separate them, the character arc of Alien star Ripley would be just about done by now. The character, played by Sigourney Weaver, has done pretty much everything there is to do, which is why it’s so surprising that director Ridley Scott – who’s been reigniting the Alien franchise recently with 2012’s Prometheus and the upcoming Alien: Covenant – has plans to potentially bring Ripley back into the franchise, TRON: Legacy style.

Fans of the newer Alien films know that they’re actually prequels to the original franchise, which makes it logically sound that Ripley would come back in a younger form. However, just because it could happen, doesn’t mean it should, and it seems like shoehorning her back into the franchise for the sake of familiarity might backfire on Ridley Scott more than he thinks.

In an interview with Empire, Scott had this to say about the possibility of bringing Ripley back to the franchise;

Scott will, it seems, be holding back some of his gruesome notions for future installments: he is planning at least two more films before linking up with the original Alien. “Right now we’ve got a ten-page synopsis,” he reveals. “John Logan’s doing it. And we know where we’re going with it.” He is not ruling out the idea of using a digitally de-aged Sigourney Weaver to bring back Ripley: “You could do that,” he allows. And Logan promises “different mutations” of the Alien to come.

If you’re on the anti-de-aging side of this argument, this quote should actually give you peace of mind. Scott doesn’t seem to be confirming it, nor does it seem like he’s genuinely all that interested in bringing back Ripley, which is good news. The new Alien films need to establish themselves as being able to function independently of the original films. It’s kind of a fresh start after the original Alien franchise went downhill during later installments, and Scott is right to give each film a chance to work on its own without forcing pre-existing elements for the sake of a callback.

It’s still possible that Ripley will return in the franchise at some point, but hopefully it’s executed well instead of feeling forced. In the meantime, Alien: Covenant comes out on May 19th!